Improvement in wardrobe-bedsteads



J. C. HALL, J. S. GRISARD & B. F. GOSSIN.

WARDROBE BEDSTEAD. No.176,177. Patented Apr'11 18,1876.

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NITED STATES PATENT Orr-Ion.

JOHN (J. HALL, JAMES S. GRISARD, AND BENJAMIN F. GOSSIN, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

IMPROVEMENT IN WARDROBE-BEDSTEADS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 176,177, dated April-l8, 1876; application filed July 12, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, J 012m 0. HALL, JAMES S. GRISARD, and BENJAMIN F. GossIN, all of Cincinnati, Hamilton county, Ohio, have in- "ented a new and useful Convertible Secretary and Bed, of which the following is a specification Our convertible article of furniture consists essentially of a supporting base or stand a case or frame, constituting the secretary proper; a hinged cornice at the upper end of said case 5 and a concealed detent or equivalent retaining device. Of these four essential members, the base or stand rests upon the floor, and has pivoted to it the secretary, which latter occupies an erect position when the article of furniture is in its normal or closed condition.

The secretary is maintained in its vertical position by means of the aforesaid concealed detent or pawl that is hinged to the lower end of the case, and drops, by its own gravity, into a suitable notch or cavity in one of the beams of the base. This detent is connected, by means of a concealed cord, strap, or chain, with the hinged cornice, and as soon as the latter is swung up, preparatory to converting the article of furniture into a bed, the detent is disengaged from its appropriate cavity, thereby leaving the secretary at liberty to be brought into a horizontal position, in which the cornice serves to support one end of the bed while the other end of said bed rests upon the base.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective View of our convertible article of furniture in its normal position, with two of the doors of the secretarythrown open. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the rear side of the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical section thereof, with the flap of the secretary opened. Fig. 4 is another vertical section, showing the cornice swung up so as to disengage the detent from its notch or cavity, to enable the secretary to be lowered to its horizontal position. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the secretary supported in a horizontal position and ready for the reception of the mattress and bed-clothes. Fig. 6 is a vertical section through the upper portion of the secretary at the line 1 1, the

hinged cornice being in its closed position. Fig. 7 is a similar section in the same plane, but showing the cornice secured in such a position as to serve as a support for the foot of the bed.

A represents the base, whose ends B B are united togeth r by a stout beam, board, or stretcher, O, which is notched or excavated,

c, at its midlength for a purpose which will presently appear. This base may have hinged to it at a a a lid, D, to afl'ord access to a receptacle, d, for such articles as it will conveniently contain. The rear portions of the ends B B of the base are somewhat higher than the receptacle D d, in order to afl'ord sufficient elevation for the gudgeons or pivots e e which project horizontally from the sides E E of the case or frame that constitutes the secretary proper. These sides are united at bottom by two boards, F F, and at top by a board, G. H represents the back of the secretary. Pivoted to the board F is a detent, pawl, or catch, 1, whose free end is adapted to engage in the excavation or pocket 0 of the base whenever the wardrobe proper is in the erect position, as shown in Fig. 3. This detent or catch has attached to it one end of a concealed rope, strap, or chain, J, which is carried up behind the back H and is thence brought forward through suitable apertures and secured to the cornice K, which latter is hinged at k k to the top board G of the secretary. This connecting medium J is of such length as to insure the detent I engaging with its socket c as soon as the cornice K is brought to its normal or folded position. Projecting from this cornice are two pendants, L L" which fit snugly against the front M of the secretary when said cornice and secretary are in their erect positions, as shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 6.

The lower ends of these pendants rest upon carved blocks or brackets, l l, which latter are attached to the front M. By this arrangement the pendants L L, instead of showing prominently as parts of the movable devices of the bed, have the appearance of ornaments only, and add to, instead of detracting from, the finish of the article of furniture. Secured to the under side of top G is a guide, 9, within which is located a sliding bolt or stop,

N, that, being forced outward by a spring, a, as soon as the cornice K is swung up to right angles with the secretary Front, serves to hold said cornice to such open position so as to con vert it into a rigid leg or projection for sup port of the secretary in its depressed position. Hinged to the beam F is the head-board U, to whose ends are pivoted wings P P, having tongues 19 1), that engage under hooks Q, Q when the bed is made, as shown in Fig. 5. This board and its accompanying wings may be maintained in their closed condition by hooks and staples or other convenient appliances. at r r is a customary falling flap or leaf, R, which is maintained in its open position by chains or straps T T, although any other suitable supports may be substituted for these chains. U may represent hinged doors V, shelves; W, pigeon-holes; and X, a lookingglass.

()nr article of furniture is manipulated in the following manner: In its normal position the secretary E E F F G H M is erect and securely maintained in such upright condition by means of the catch I engaging with the notch 0,.the pendent position of the cornice K allowing said catch to drop into its appropriate cavity. When in this position there is no danger of the secretary being accidentally thrown over, as the catch 1 and its operating medium J are entirely concealed and cannot be interfered with by children. The flap R, doors U, or lid 1) may now, either one or all of them, he opened at will to receive or remove articles of bedding, 850.

To render the device serviceable as a bed, the operator first grasps the lower or free ends of pendants L L and turns the cornice K upon its hinges k 74: until it assumes a horizontal or almost horizontal position, which act causes the rope J to draw upon the catch I with such force as to disengage it from the notch c.

Hingedto the front of the secretary The secretary proper is now free to swing forward and assume a horizontal position, an operation easily accomplished by reason of the pivots e e sustaining the greater part of its weight, and the cornice, with its pendants L L, being held out by the springbolt N, arrest the free end of the secretary and securely uphold the same at the proper elevation, as represented in Fig. 7. The head-board 0 being then brought to an erect position, the wings P P turned outward and their tongues 19 p engaged under the hooks Q Q, the secretaryframe is ready for the proper bedding.

To restore the article of furniture to its original condition, the secretary is raised to the erect position, the bolt N is pushed in by hand, and the cornice K brought down until the pendants L L rest against the front M, which act slackens the cord J and allows the detent I to drop into the cavity a.

The device may, in its erect condition, take the form of a book-case, wardrobe, secretary, or other appropriate article of furniture.

We claim as new and of our invention 1. In combination with the supporting-base A B B U c, swinging case E e E c F G H M, and hinged cornice K, the gravitating detent or catch 1 and operating medium J, when adapted to operate in the manner described.

2. The combination of the case or frame E E G M, hinged cornice K L L, and springstop 7 N n, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination of case E E F, headboard 0, wings P P tongues p p, and hooks Q Q, for the purpose stated.

In testimony of which invention, we hereunto set our hands.

J. O. HALL. JAMES S. GRISARD. BENJ. F. vGIOSSIN. Attest:

GEO. H. KNIGHT, FRED. A. JOHNSON. 

